Margulies has a lighter side, too. His work is laced with humor, and "Shipwrecked!" An Entertainment," about a fabulist and his eccentric life, proved Margulies' imagination could take him in whimsical directions.

Still, even Margulies' most devoted fans will be taken aback by his latest creation, "Coney Island Christmas," which opened Thursday at the Geffen Playhouse in Westwood.

Commissioned by the Geffen's late director, Gilbert Cates, it was something Margulies initially resisted. Why, he wondered, did Cates believe that a playwright celebrated for examining Jewish existential angst would have much to offer in the way of a light Yuletide entertainment suitable for families?

But Margulies found inspiration in a 1959 Grace Paley short story, "The Loudest Voice," about a Jewish girl named Shirley from a working-class family living in 1930s Brooklyn. Because of her booming voice she is enlisted by her well-meaning but culturally oblivious teacher to play the part of Jesus in a Christmas musical at her public school, a prospect that delights the budding young thespian but doesn't thrill her mother.

Margulies' adaptation of Paley's tale isn't perfect. There's a little too much reliance on the cornball play-with-in-a-play (actually two – the students perform a Thanksgiving pageant early in the first act as well). A framing device, in which present-day Shirley (Angela Paton) describes the experience to her great-granddaughter then leads her into the flashback, is a bit contrived. And like many family entertainments, a teaching moment lurks behind every plot twist.

But the playwright finds more conflict than Paley did in the slim story; he creates an ongoing tension between Shirley and her stern, traditional mother. There are worthwhile messages about tolerance, the strengths of multicultural co-existence and the importance of letting your child find her own way to happiness. And there's snowfall in the final scene – a moment of catharsis in any Christmas play that's worth its sugar plums.

This production, directed capably but with a touch too much sentiment by Bart DeLorenzo, is made lovable by some excellent performers.

Anchoring the cast is Isabella Acres as the young Shirley, a girl whose impetuousness can be forgiven in light of her keen intelligence and desire to please. Acres is most convincing when she dives into her teacher's horrible script with the enthusiasm of a giddy neophyte, blissfully unaware of how hilariously amateur the whole enterprise is.

That world-class ineptness is the core of the script's humor, and the young actors portraying the hapless students are virtuosos at the art of bad delivery.

First among them is Kira Sternbach as Shirley's best friend, Evie. Resembling a young Christina Ricci, Sternbach's Evie mangles absolutely everything she's given to do. Her line readings are deliciously off-tempo; her arms flap in tiny, uncontrollable bursts at the oddest moments; at times she looks like a fawn trying to understand quadratic equations.

John Sloan and Lily Holleman play Mr. Hilton and Miss Glacé, the young, earnest teachers behind this disaster. The Frenchwoman's ardor for Hilton and his gradual realization that he's the object of her obsession form a well-played and amusing subplot.

Arye Gross and Annabelle Gurwitch play Shirley's parents. It's a parent-child conflict with a twist: he's the tolerant one, she clings to the old ways and sees Shirley's interest in the Christmas play as a threat to their beliefs.

Gross, who was memorable in South Coast Repertory's production of Margulies' "Brooklyn Boy," finds a beautifully understated tone for the modest shopkeeper – easygoing but principled, and filled with a passionate devotion to his daughter. Gurwitch's character clearly has some baggage that we're not made privy to; there's fear and ferocity underlying her conservatism. Perhaps it would bring too dark an element to the play to explore that back story, but I think we need a touch more revelation here.

Ann Closs-Farley has some fun with the student play's slapdash costumes. Shirley's overly hirsute Jesus is a showstopper. Takeshi Kata's set captures the playfulness of 1930s Coney Island but sometimes shortchanges us on other locales – present-day Los Angeles, for example.

"Coney Island Christmas" might not be the classic holiday play Cates was hoping for. But it's offbeat, uplifting and clever enough to merit future productions – particularly in places where the end-of-year holidays are a celebration of many cultures.

Isabella Acres and Annabelle Gurwitch in the world premiere of Donald Margulies' "Coney Island Christmas" at the Geffen Playhouse, directed by Bart DeLorenzo. MICHAEL LAMONT
Lilly Hollemnan and John Sloane in "Coney Island Christmas." Donald Margulies' play is receiving its world premiere at the Geffen Playhouse. MICHAEL LAMONT
Arye Gross and Isabella Acres in a scene from Donald Margulies' new holiday-themed play, "Coney Island Christmas," making its debut at the Geffen Playthyouse in Westwood. MICHAEL LAMONT
Arye Gross and Annabelle Gurwitch in "Coney Island Christmas." MICHAEL LAMONT
Angela Paton and Grace Kaufman ion a scene from Donald Margulies' new play, "Coney Island Christmas." MICHAEL LAMONT
On Oct. 31, 2011, Geffen Playhouse head Gilbert Cates died suddenly in the middle of a busy workday. The former Oscar telecast director was 77 but still vital, and his passing came as a shock to those who knew and worked with him. In Cates' honor, Margulies vowed he would have the play ready to perform by Christmas of 2012. MICHAEL LAMONT
Andrew Walke and Isabella Acres in a scene from "Coney Island Christmas." MICHAEAL LAMONT
The cast of "Coney Island Christmas." MICHAEL LAMONT

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